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Windows 7: Downloading Windows Updates manually or stop updating

I have Windows 7 SP1. From 161108 my Windows Update cannot find any new updates, it just searches for days and days. There are many posts on this subject, but I have not been able to solve the problem.
1. Is there a simple way to download and install updates manually (not using Windows Update)?
2. Would it be a very bad idea to stop updating Windows 7 from now on?

Question #2:
Yes, it would be a VERY BAD idea to stop taking at least critical and important security updates from now on. MS now issues them all together in a monthly "roll-up", rather than individual updates. But there is a way to take only the "security" patches, instead of the combined security+performance patches.
Let's get your WU working first...

Question #1:
If WU is stuck on "checking for updates", you need to temporarily shut down that process/service in order to manually install the 2 most important patches that should fix it (3020369 and 3172605).

Let's try this:

IF NOT ALREADY DONE: Download and save, but do not run yet, the standalone installers for KB3020369 and KB3172605 for your architecture (32-bit or 64-bit).

Disconnect from the internet.

Disable the Windows Update service in both the applet itself ("never check for updates") AND from services.msc (change it to "manual" and STOP the service, then click "OK").

REBOOT

Run 3020369 and reboot.

Run 3172605 and reboot.

Go into services.msc and change WU back to "Automatic-delayed start" and start the service.

Reconnect to internet.

Change WU to "notify me, but let me choose".

Run a manual check for updates.

The concept is that you are going to install them from the standalone installers that you have downloaded locally to your computer, NOT via Windows Update.
So, if Windows Update is partially or fully enabled when you try this, you will probably get stuck "checking for updates".
WU must be disabled/turned off first.

If that process does not work and/or you get error messages with a specific error code then, then you might have a different problem.

If 3020369 is already installed, then you do not need to reinstall it.

As for 3172605, I do not know how to install it via Powershell.
The instructions I posted worked for me on 2 Win7 systems, and for many, many other users (see the many threads here in this forum section).
One only needs to download the standalone installer from the link to the Microsoft Download Center in the KB article I linked above, and then run it.
(Windows Update needs to temporarily turned off in order to do this.)
So I suggest following the steps.

If that process does not work for you, or if you get error messages (especially with specific error codes), then you might have a different problem.

You asked if it is a "bad" idea to no longer install Microsoft updates to which I ask:

Do you still allow Windows onto the Internet? If your answer is "NO" then forget about MS updates.

If "YES" then you need to make a personal call.

I haven't updated Windows 7 since mid May but I only allow Win7 to access the Internet when updating the three applications that I use which requires Windows. Once those 3rd party applications update, Windows no longer is allowed on the Internet.

Unless one of the three 3rd party applications requires a Windows 7 update past May 2016, I have no need for Microsoft updates.

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